The present invention relates generally to an air tunnel diverter and the method for installing the same in a refrigeration unit. More particularly, though not exclusively, the present invention relates to an air tunnel diverter that can be easily assembled and installed.
Air tunnel diverters are commonly used on refrigeration units, such as household refrigerators. Air tunnel diverters typically have a plurality of pipes and are used to route cool air, usually from a freezer compartment, to various fresh food areas or compartments in the refrigerator compartment or into various refrigerated spaces. To maximize efficiency, it is desirable to have all of the cooler air come from a single location or pump. This requires a plurality of pipes be merged into a single fitting to receive the cooler air or that the pipes be flexible and thus able to be positioned to rout chilled air to the desired locations. Current air tunnel diverters attempt to merge several pipes into the fitting using glue.
Glue is messy and often ineffective, failing to properly seal the air tunnel diverters. If the air tunnel diverters are not properly sealed, the foam insulation, which is typically sprayed on, may creep into the interior of the diverter, thereby reducing the diverters' effectiveness.
Current refrigeration units come in many styles and have a wide variety of specialized compartments. As designs evolve and change, the location of the various compartments also changes. Many homes may soon feature vent only refrigerators, but also refrigerated drawers, cabinents, and other refrigerated spaces. Previously, cooler air was typically routed to these areas through rigid pipes that were designed for a certain style of refrigerator with compartments in certain specified locations. Designing compartments in new locations also required designing a new air tunnel diverter to route the cooler air to the new locations. It is therefore desirable to have an air tunnel diverter that can be easily adapted or positioned to fit in a variety of refrigerated spaces.
Accordingly, a primary feature of the present invention is the provision of an air tunnel diverter and the method for installing the same in a refrigeration unit that overcomes problems found in the prior art.
Another feature of the present invention is the provision of an air tunnel diverter and the method for installing the same in a refrigeration unit that does not require glue for installation.
A further feature of the present invention is the provision of an air tunnel diverter and the method for installing the same in a refrigeration unit that is easily adapted for installation in a variety of refrigeration units.
A still further feature of the present invention is the provision of an air tunnel diverter and the method for installing the same in a refrigeration unit that is easy to install.
Yet another feature of the present invention is the provision of an air tunnel diverter and the method for installing the same in a refrigeration unit that is inexpensive.
These and other features and advantages will become apparent from the following specification and claims.